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Thread: Bulldogs chase British stars and Pangai

  1. #26
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk fishy3005's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tallaght Tiger View Post
    Fishy I don`t think you were harsh on the previous comments, he always struggled when running direct as he takes and has taken a lot of head trauma, he had concussion issues when a bit younger, taking a late season off with most of a preseason to recover. When he returned he was cited for "knees up" a few times then became our main prop when Alex was injured, he did very well but took a lot of punishment when it was direct go forward needed, he became less effective in those games, the quick play the ball when Alex came back and the inside pass against the open side he used to exploit brilliantly. Hope he finds a way of using his footwork and pace over there but as you say it is in an already beaten side most weeks, tough gig for him at the moment, with hindsight he maybe should have waited until the season ended here.
    Stiddy`s point about ability compared to the other two is valid, we shall see, but good luck to him for taking on the challenge.
    Yeh i agree with all of that mate. If he decides to stay in Oz, like you i hope he makes a good go of it.
    screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Blobbynator's Avatar
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    Losing Walmsley would be a disaster for us. Replacing him and Luke Thompson with anywhere near the same quality would be almost impossible.
    Quote Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
    Blobby is a man of style, panache and impeccable taste

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk fishy3005's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blobbynator View Post
    Losing Walmsley would be a disaster for us. Replacing him and Luke Thompson with anywhere near the same quality would be almost impossible.
    He’s 30 now isn’t he? Would it be worth him uprooting his young family for a 2 or 3 year deal???
    screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies

  4. #29
    Banned Gerry Mander's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blobbynator View Post
    Losing Walmsley would be a disaster for us. Replacing him and Luke Thompson with anywhere near the same quality would be almost impossible.
    True.

    Just have to enjoy the stars while they are here and always be looking to the next cohort.

    Hard to replace a Jamie Lyon ,James Roby, Mal Meninga , Shaun Long , in one sense you can't but in another you always do.

    It's hard there's not always the direct quality to replace, just don't rush out and buy a Josh Perry in a panic
    or remortgage the TWS just to keep Walmsley.

    Accept that Saints might go through a phase where they haven't got the best front row in the comp.
    This might be offset by the fact that another star comes and dominates another position eg Lewis Dodd.
    Things come in cycles.


    A big challenge for SL clubs will be the loss of numbers from the player pool as a result of the pandemic over the next 2-3 years.
    How many players will drop out of academies , no reserves , brain drain of juniors to the NRL, will the championship even exist ?

    Saints have been spoilt for a couple of years at prop.
    Prop is a specific now problem which I think Saints will manage.
    The next two years of developing players ready for first team will be a broader and very difficult problem.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fishy3005 View Post
    He’s 30 now isn’t he? Would it be worth him uprooting his young family for a 2 or 3 year deal???
    Standard of living over there is very high. A two year holiday before the kids need to settle in school on higher pay? House with a swimming pool? I know nothing about him or his family or what motivates them, but I know what I'd be doing.

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    Not sure if this links been posted but it would be a huge change of his thinking if he was to go.

    https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.t...e-happier/amp/


    After posting I’ve realised the grubby source it comes from and apologise in advance.

  7. #32
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk fishy3005's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Standard of living over there is very high. A two year holiday before the kids need to settle in school on higher pay? House with a swimming pool? I know nothing about him or his family or what motivates them, but I know what I'd be doing.
    Yeh i didn’t think of it that way. If the buying club handle all the arrangements so all he has to do is pack a few suitcases it could be tempting
    screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies

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    Quote Originally Posted by fishy3005 View Post
    Yeh i didn’t think of it that way. If the buying club handle all the arrangements so all he has to do is pack a few suitcases it could be tempting
    There is far more to it than a couple of suitcases, kids to move out of schools, a wife who leaves her employment over here for the unknown over there, a move away from family support networks and a variety of other issues can be a move killer or result in homesickness as seen in multiple cases when British players move over there, only a few players stay long term. It seems those likely to stay are the ones who leave little here.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Standard of living over there is very high. A two year holiday before the kids need to settle in school on higher pay? House with a swimming pool? I know nothing about him or his family or what motivates them, but I know what I'd be doing.
    Or alternatively a culture that starts with a BBq and ends with one and a music scene that still thinks INXS is cutting edge.

  10. #35
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tomsepho View Post
    There is far more to it than a couple of suitcases, kids to move out of schools, a wife who leaves her employment over here for the unknown over there, a move away from family support networks and a variety of other issues can be a move killer or result in homesickness as seen in multiple cases when British players move over there, only a few players stay long term. It seems those likely to stay are the ones who leave little here.
    I hope Walmsley reads your post.

  11. #36
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk STIDDY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tomsepho View Post
    There is far more to it than a couple of suitcases, kids to move out of schools, a wife who leaves her employment over here for the unknown over there, a move away from family support networks and a variety of other issues can be a move killer or result in homesickness as seen in multiple cases when British players move over there, only a few players stay long term. It seems those likely to stay are the ones who leave little here.
    Seem to remember him adding extra qualifications to his degree as a quantity surveyor around the time he was being touted by the NRL, with the UK setting up a building program to kickstart the economy I should imagine he will have no problem setting up an alternative career on home soil after the rugby.

  12. #37
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by STIDDY View Post
    Seem to remember him adding extra qualifications to his degree as a quantity surveyor around the time he was being touted by the NRL, with the UK setting up a building program to kickstart the economy I should imagine he will have no problem setting up an alternative career on home soil after the rugby.
    A lot of UK qualifications are not recognised in Australia, I know Plumbers and electricians have to re-study and sit exams. I don't know about a QS. I worked in construction in Aus as Project Manager, and much of the work which in the UK would be done by a QS was done by myself. Life after rugby may not be as attractive for him over there.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Belgian Saint View Post
    A lot of UK qualifications are not recognised in Australia, I know Plumbers and electricians have to re-study and sit exams. I don't know about a QS. I worked in construction in Aus as Project Manager, and much of the work which in the UK would be done by a QS was done by myself. Life after rugby may not be as attractive for him over there.
    Definitely Electrically you do as I hold essentially the same qual' for Europe and Aus/NZ but obviously I had to take the course twice.

    I've often thought about emigrating myself but I don't think Australia is for me, I found it a bit boring to be honest, but 4 of my mates are very happy there and earn a good living.

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    It looks like some on the Bulldogs forum aren't happy with Thompson, seem to remember they dished out the same to Graham when he first arrived.

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    Quote Originally Posted by zippy View Post
    It looks like some on the Bulldogs forum aren't happy with Thompson, seem to remember they dished out the same to Graham when he first arrived.
    I haven't watched a great deal of NRL over the past few weeks so haven't seen much of Thompson but what I've seen from the Bulldogs then they need about 10 new players.

  16. #41
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk The Yellow Giraffe's Avatar
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    Walmsley going nowhere. From the horse’s mouth.
    NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS

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    Quote Originally Posted by zippy View Post
    It looks like some on the Bulldogs forum aren't happy with Thompson, seem to remember they dished out the same to Graham when he first arrived.
    You could put Amor, Costello and Batchelor in their team and theyd all upgrade the dogshit that’s in their squad...

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    Learning All The Songs roy litherland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UhAhGeorgie Mann View Post
    "What I can say is, if I don't do it now, I won't ever do it."

    Given that he said this 2 years ago, before he decided to commit his future to saints you'd like to think that means he is going nowhere.

    Talk about taking something completely out of context.

    I really can't see Walmsley going over there now. Its the likes of Knowles, Bentley if he keeps improving etc that I would be worried about.
    Walmsley bought a house quite recently next door to our kid in Eccleston, according to him he seems as happy as a light at Saints ,and even his 2 minutes interview after the game he said 2and a half years left on his contract and he says he will honour that but after ? ,you couldn't name him for earning a few Bob for a couple of years .
    roy litherland it's happened i told you it would

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    The key to Walmsley is don't let him get to his last yr? give him say a 3/4 yr contract now? Bentley is another you can see this lad is going to be dynamite get him signed up longer.

  20. #45
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk fishy3005's Avatar
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    Thompsons performances getting worse week on week for the Bulldogs. The fans starting to turn on him. He looks well off the pace. He’s just not doing much. Certainly not worth the coin he’s getting paid.
    screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies

  21. #46
    Learning All The Songs St Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fishy3005 View Post
    Thompsons performances getting worse week on week for the Bulldogs. The fans starting to turn on him. He looks well off the pace. He’s just not doing much. Certainly not worth the coin he’s getting paid.
    It can be a lonely place too when your not performing well. He's certainly not the only one but it's up to him to prove himself. This is what he wanted. Sink or swim time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fishy3005 View Post
    Thompsons performances getting worse week on week for the Bulldogs. The fans starting to turn on him. He looks well off the pace. He’s just not doing much. Certainly not worth the coin he’s getting paid.
    The Bulldogs are in awful state on and off the field.

    I cant fathom why you’d play LT at 13 running off a player as poor as Aiden Tolman who Id put behind every Saints prop including Ashworth. Totally bonkers. A lot of Thompsons best work was hitting direct ball from around the ruck, not ••••ing about as second phase runner.

    People over there have totally missed the point that Saints and Canterbury-Bankstown play totally different styles / gameplans. Everything at Saints is around speed and impact; fast ptb’s, quick hit ups and fast hands. Canterbury lack any structure to get defences thinking and any speed whatsoever. The fact an over the hill prop is still trundling in trying and badly failing to perform that James Graham type role shows where they are.

    Its like Thompson has gone from Real Madrid to Wimbledon. The Bulldogs look about 10 years behind the game and asking Thompson to perform a totally different role in a shite team won’t help them anytime soon. As I said previously, the likes if Amor, Batchelor and Ashworth would all improve the Bulldogs who look nearly as poor as Toronto.
    Last edited by eddiewaringsflatcap; 23rd August 2020 at 07:50.

  23. #48
    Learning All The Songs St Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eddiewaringsflatcap View Post
    The Bulldogs are in awful state on and off the field.

    I cant fathom why you’d play LT at 13 running off a player as poor as Aiden Tolman who Id put behind every Saints prop including Ashworth. Totally bonkers. A lot of Thompsons best work was hitting direct ball from around the ruck, not ••••ing about as second phase runner.

    People over there have totally missed the point that Saints and Canterbury-Bankstown play totally different styles. Everything at Saints is around speed and impact; fast ptb’s, quick hit ups and fast hands. Canterbury lack any structure and the fact an over the hill prop is still trundling in trying and badly failing to perform that James Graham type role shows where they are.

    Its like Thompson has gone from Real Madrid to Wimbledon. The Bulldogs look about 10 years behind the game and asking Thompson to perform a different role in a shite team won’t help them.
    My thoughts exactly. Thommo was bossing it at prop. He's quick, agile and a great runner of the ball. So why sign him and move positions? Theres a big difference between prop and loose forward. I know hes not been asked to play as a LF, more of a 3rd prop but still simple things make big differences

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  24. #49
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk fishy3005's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by St Willy View Post
    My thoughts exactly. Thommo was bossing it at prop. He's quick, agile and a great runner of the ball. So why sign him and move positions? Theres a big difference between prop and loose forward. I know hes not been asked to play as a LF, more of a 3rd prop but still simple things make big differences

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    He offers a quick play the ball for the Bulldogs but thats about it. Tolman and Napa are shyte but still manage to make more metres, tackles and post contact metres than Thompson. I just don’t think Thompson is big enough to be a NRL prop. I also question his heart. He just jogs about the pitch, no urgency in his game. He doesn’t go looking for the ball. He doesn’t fancy tackling big men either. He prefers to just come in as third defender round the legs. He can’t wrap up ball carriers either. Teams always get the offload away when they run at him.
    I can’t see him seeing out his contract.
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    Welcome home Luke.

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